Kaye Arnold

Kaye Arnold of Topeka, Kansas died Saturday at St. Francis Hospital from complications following cancer surgery on Monday. She was born February 6, 1944 in Great Falls, Montana to Olive and Henry F.T. Monteiro, CWO in the Army Air Corps. Kaye went to school in Georgia, New Mexico, California, North Dakota, and Maryland. She considered Minot High School in North Dakota her high school. While moving with her father’s military assignments, she lived at Clark Air Base in the Philippines, working as a receptionist at the Officer’s Club. She met her future husband, John E. Arnold, there while he was serving in the Peace Corps in the Philippines. She returned to the U.S. in early 1964 and he later that year. They were married in June, 1965, in Suitland, Maryland having spent a total of 14 days together. They spent the next 42 years getting to know each other. Kaye’s passion was for the arts, active as both professional and volunteer. She was an Events Coordinator for the Topeka Arts Council, putting on the Riverfront Art Festival and helping to organize the year 2000 Millennium celebration in the Capitol. Her favorite events included the annual Mardi Gras Fat Tuesday Mask Celebration. Living in different cities throughout John’s career as City Manager, Kaye was involved in the arts and non-profit organizations. In Eureka , California , she was on the Board of the Eureka Arts Council, and served as Interim Executive Director. In Fort Collins, Colorado , she was active in promoting Lincoln Center , the city’s performing arts center. In Minot, North Dakota, she organized a Lecture Series at her church, bringing in such notables as Olivia de Haviland. She was the art lady at her son’s school, and painted a garbage can-sized Andy Warhol replica Campbell’s soup can for the schools soup-label drive. Her home has become an art gallery with paintings, prints, and sculptures. Much to her husbands benefit, she considered food another art form, enjoying and appreciating cooking and entertaining. Kaye received a degree in Management of Non-Profit organizations from Metro State in Denver. She was the first executive director of the Fort Collins Community Foundation, organizing Christmas on Wheels, collecting bikes for needy kids. She later served as Executive Director of the Foothills-Gateway Foundation, a rehabilitation center for people with disabilities, and organized a spectacular Hot Air Balloon race as a fundraiser. Kaye also worked as a dental assistant at various times. She loved son L.T., son Jay and wife, Mary Beth Binns, and grandchildren, Audrey, 5 Â½, Carmen, 4, and Scarlett, 2 and a half. Her granddaughters share her love of art, doing art projects for and with their Grammy. She will be dearly missed by her Mother, Olive Monteiro, in Everett, Washington, her sister, DeAnn and husband Marsh Bennett, Everett, her brother, Hank and wife Kelly Shyne, Mukilteo, Washington, her niece, Kirsten and husband Randy Viernes, Everett, their families, many cousins and countless friends. Most of all, she will be missed by her husband, John, and her sons Jay and L.T. and their families. A memorial will be held at Kevin Brennan Family Funeral Home, 2801 SW Urish Road, at 4:00 PM on Thursday, November 29th. A celebration of Kaye’s life and the arts will follow at The Collective art gallery, 3121 Huntoon, Topeka. In lieu of flowers or other memorial gifts the family requests any remembrances be sent to the Topeka Community Foundation in c/o the Kaye Arnold Memorial Arts Fund.

Kaye Arnold

February 6, 1944 - November 29, 2007